"I have never smuggled anything in my life. Why, then, do I feel an uneasy sense of guilt on approaching a customs barrier?"

John Steinbeck's quote speaks with the power of regret and the human conscience. Despite the fact that he has never done anything wrong, he still feels a sense of regret when approaching a customs barrier. This might be due to the fact that of the fear of being captured doing something incorrect, or because of the knowledge that others have actually done incorrect in the past. It might also be since of the sensation of being evaluated by the customizeds authorities. Whatever the factor, Steinbeck's quote shows that guilt can be a powerful feeling, even when we have actually done nothing incorrect. It is a reminder that we should know our actions and how they may impact others.